-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In a show of adoration , a small group of Jenni Rivera 's fans waited outside Long Beach Airport , as the plane carrying the music star 's remains landed late Thursday . They greeted members of her family with applause and condolences as they exited the airport .

Another group of fans gathered at an impromptu altar in front of Rivera 's mother 's home in Lakewood .

A hearse ferried Rivera 's body through dark streets , escorted by at least three police cruisers , to All Souls Mortuary , according to CNN affiliate KCAL .

The singer was killed Sunday when the plane she was aboard plummeted from 28,000 feet , Mexico 's transportation secretary said . The private jet crashed in a mountainous area 9,000 feet above sea level .

The remains of Rivera 's publicist and the plane 's co-pilot have also been identified , said Jorge Domene , a spokesman for Mexico 's Nuevo Leon state .

The cause of the crash is under investigation .

Two lawsuits against the company that owns the jet accuse the firm of lying about its links to a businessman convicted of falsifying maintenance records .

Rivera had left a letter for her loved ones and gave instructions to her sister Rosie regarding the circumstances under which it should be read , her brother Pedro Jr. told CNN en EspaÃ ± ol on Wednesday .

He said the letter stipulated that she did not want to be cremated , as the family had originally planned to do , and that the authorities should hand over her remains to her siblings .

`` Jenni always had advisers who helped her to work and to make things right , '' he said . `` She prepared a letter about a month , month and a half ago . ''

He added that funeral plans had not been finalized but that a memorial would probably be held in Mexico .

The accident report will not be ready for nine months to a year , the secretary of communications and transportation said .

Rivera , 43 , is mourned by millions of fans .

She and six others were thought to be aboard the plane , which lost contact with air traffic controllers soon after takeoff .

Known as `` La Diva de la Banda '' or the Diva of Banda Music , Rivera was a musical powerhouse with her Spanish-language performances of regional Mexican corridos , or ballads . For fans , the nickname captured her powerful voice and personal strength .

In recent years , she had been working to break into the English-language U.S. market and was reportedly on the verge of a crossover with a sitcom inspired by the success of `` I Love Jenni , '' a Spanish-language reality TV show on Telemundo 's mun2 network .

Rivera sold 15 million records , according to Billboard , and had recently won two Billboard Music Awards , including favorite Mexican music female artist .

In October , People en EspaÃ ± ol added her to its list of the 25 most powerful women .

CNN 's Nelson Quinones contributed to this report

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NEW : Rivera 's remains were repatriated to the United States

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The remains of Rivera 's publicist and the plane 's co-pilot also were identified

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A memorial will likely be held in Mexico , but plans are not yet final

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Rivera 's letter says she does not want to be cremated